pessimistic

[ pes-uh-mis-tik ]

/ ˌpɛs əˈmɪs tɪk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pessimistic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

pertaining to or characterized by pessimism or the tendency to expect only bad outcomes; gloomy; joyless; unhopeful: His pessimistic outlook kept him from applying for jobs for which he was perfectly qualified.

Nearby words

peso, peso boliviano, pessary, pessimism, pessimist, pessimistic, pessoa, pest, pest house, pestalozzi, pester

Origin of pessimistic

First recorded in 1865–70; pessimist + -ic

SYNONYMS FOR pessimistic

despairing, hopeless.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pessimistic ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverbnon·pes·si·mis·tic, adjectivenon·pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverbo·ver·pes·si·mis·tic, adjective

o·ver·pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverbun·pes·si·mis·tic, adjectiveun·pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Synonym study

See cynical.

Examples from the Web for pessimistic

“I fall very much on the pessimistic spectrum, in the sense that I get very confused about it,” she says.
Confessions of a Rom-Com Writer: Liz Tuccillo Talks ‘Sex and the City,’ ‘Take Care,’ and More|Kevin Fallon|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It satirizes and parodies the romanticised, pessimistic accounts of rural life by writers like Thomas Hardy and Mary Webb.
These Female Contemporaries Weren’t Afraid of Virginia Woolf|Louisa Treger|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But at the time I was so pessimistic that the notion of staying and fighting just seemed like an empty gesture.
Can Carl Hiaasen Save Florida?|Malcolm Jones|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hoffman plays Jon Savage, the sarcastic and pessimistic brother (and confidant) to his sister, Wendy.
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Best Performances: ‘Boogie Nights,’ ‘Capote,’ and More|Marlow Stern|February 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

She sounded “pessimistic” he said and did not believe that she would come out of jail before the February Games.
Why Is Putin Pardoning His Political Enemies?|Anna Nemtsova|December 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But most librarians have not accepted this pessimistic negative.
Papers and proceedings of the thirty-fifth general meeting of the American Library Association, 1913|Various
I am glad to say the event proved that my pessimistic friend was by far too pessimistic.
France and the Republic|William Henry Hurlbert
In National Life and Character, a pessimistic though intellectually stimulating book.
The Group Mind|William McDougall
Instead of being glum and pessimistic and foreboding, he was chipper and enthusiastic.
Masters of Space|Edward Elmer Smith
But this pessimistic view results from our limited capacity to perceive the light that is there.
Expositor's Bible: The Song of Solomon|Walter Adeney